About this title: In a stunning indictment of the Bush administration and Congress, best-selling author Naomi Wolf lays out her case for saving American democracy. With authoritative research and documentation Wolf explains how events of the last six years parallel steps taken in the early years of the 20th century's worst dictatorships such as Germany, Russia, China, and Chile. In this timely call to arms, Naomi Wolf compels us to face the way our free America is under assault. She warns us - with the straight-to-fellow-citizens urgency of one of Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphlets - that we have little ...
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. No marks or tears; near fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 176 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Date Published: 2007-09-05
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: New. Paperback. Enjoyable reading copy for your personal pleasure. You are buying a Book in NEW condition with very light shelf wear to include very light edge and corner wear. Buy it Now! ! ! As always, thank you for buying this book from International Book Source, YOUR ONE source FOR ALL your BOOK related NEEDS. Please remember to CHOOSE carefully how QUICKLY you would like to RECEIVE this material FAST, or standard (on next page). Thanks again! ! ! ! read more
Edition: Second Printing
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: Fine. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. xiii, 176 pp. As issued. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co
Date Published: 2007-09-05
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781933392790. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781933392790ISBN:1933392797
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
"This is a dishonest book clearly geared to make money from those who are predisposed to 'Bush Bashing'.
By 'dishonest' I mean the following:
- While many excellent examples of how previous pseudo-democratic societies have been subverted are given, very little evidence is shown that the Bush administration was following the same extremes. In essence, Wold was saying, "This could happen so you'd better be shaking in your boots." These were not-so-subtle attempts to strike fear in those susceptible to propaganda just prior to an election.
- Very similar or even identical behavior by liberal/progressive presidents was completely omitted. This omission makes me conclude that this was simply an attack on Bush, someone the author despises.
- The standards to which Wolf expects Bush and 'conservatives' to follow are conveniently not applied to her liberal/progressive friends.
Here are three examples just from pg. 76:
1) "In Florida in 2000 ... angry mobs of young men ... refused to give their names ..."
I saw reports of this on television and they were hardly mobs, unless Wolf would like to use the Clintonism: "It depends on what you mean by 'mobs'." Further, any person-of-color would immediately contact the ACLU if they had were required to give their name by a 'mob'-why should a young man have to give their name?
2) "...one group made it clear to officials behind the glass that they could see who was doing what."
And at the same time, there were similar groups of Democrats making it clear to vote counters in other areas that they were watching, too. I saw this latter in television reports, as well, but I didn't see any intimidating white-folk doing as Wolf claims. So I claim that Wolf is making this up.
3) "Some groups of aggressive young men also congregated menacingly outside voting booths in districts in which there is a majority of African-American voters""
"Were these menacing, aggressive young men wearing Black Panther arm-bands and dressing up in fatigues and carrying police batons as happened in Philadelphia?" I ask sarcastically.
So the bottom line is that this book is bogus. If you're inclined to hate conservatives and/or Bush then this book will resonate with you (much as a Glenn Beck book would resonate with a conservative).
I did not like Bush myself (and did not vote for Bush) but then liberals and progressives have done far more damage to democracy and freedom in the U.S. and around the world than conservatives ever have. May I suggest that Wolf next consider looking into how money and the management thereof (i.e. redistribution) affects freedoms and democracy."
"Even though the impact of this message might seem compromised because the Americans elected Obama and this means the country isn't in "as much danger"--I've noticed that campaign promises aside, to date, even under Obama's watch, none of the critical Acts have been repealed or credibly targeted for repeal. While it has been ordered to close, the real quandry surrounding Gitmo is paralyzing the process. Many of the essential provisions of the Patriot Act expire in December of this year. I'm going to communicate my feelings re: this (and other issues)to my representatives, multiple times, to make sure my opinion is recognized. I would encourage everyone to do the same."
"I used to read horror stories to get myself scared. Now all you have to read is recent history. If you are like me, you had the feeling that America had changed in recent years. Feels like the government is marching to a slightly different tune than what the people desire. You also probably felt some of the things being done were wrong: aggressive interrogation, jailing reporters, use of signing statements to over rule congress, Guantanomo, etc.......
Naomi Wolf's book compares 2000's USA to Germany in the 1920's and the similarities are frightening and give cause for concern. Putting America in a perpetual state of emergency creates an opportunity for abuse. Government has systematically increased powers of the executive branch, while simultaneously removed/ignored citizens rights. 1920's Germany created a mythological enemy, funded creation of a paramilitary force, created a secret prison system, encouraged surveillance of citizens, practiced arbitrary detainment of citizens, harassed/infiltrated citizen's groups, targeted writers, entertainers and dissenters, recast dissent as treason and eventually ended the rule of law. Sound familiar?"
"Naomi Wolf outlines the ten steps that are historically followed by a government wishing to take an open society to a closed society. It is chilling as well as inspiring. It was a chilling read because I realized to what extent I'd been asleep. I take my freedoms in this country far too much for granted, as I think most Americans do. I also don't want to believe that those we entrust with our freedoms have designs to take them away, but Wolf makes the important and historically correct point that people in power desire to retain that power, and that to do so they must close a society. She points to some of the famous dictators of the past and draws parallels between their governments and ours. This is not a popular course of action unless you are a political pundit with leanings to the far left, but I found Wolf credible because of her lack of bias. She also correctly points out that these dictators used the law to close their societies, slowly tightening the noose around the necks of the citizens until they had no room to breathe. However, this book was an inspiring read, despite the sleepless nights it gave me. Wolf does not thrive on the doom and gloom aspect of our potential fate and then leave us in depression. She points out that we, the People, must return to our duties to be constantly watching those in power. It is up to us to be educated and enlightened so that we can take steps, if needed (and they are needed all the time), to retain our freedoms as the Constitution outlined. She calls us to be patriots like those who fought against Britain to make us a free country. And she reminds us that the common people of the early United States constantly read, debated about and made their voices heard about government policies. We need to return to that kind of dedication and education. We have fallen asleep."
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